Billings Crossing Guard Calls for More Patrols After Children Struck

A Billings crossing guard is calling for increased police patrols after at least five children were struck by vehicles in the Billings and Laurel areas since September 1, KTVQ reported.

Linda Walton has spent five years managing a school crossing near Poly Drive Elementary, situated by Arvin and Rimrock Road. She says her red stop sign and flashing yellow lights often fail to stop drivers, leading to dangerous near-misses during the morning commute.

The safety concerns follow a series of accidents that have impacted local families, including a crash that resulted in the death of 13-year-old Chase Lantz. While these incidents occurred at various locations, Walton says the pattern of driver behavior makes the danger at her specific crossing difficult to ignore.

Crossing guard urges patrols after multiple Billings children hit — KTVQ News

The request for more law enforcement presence at school zones faces practical hurdles regarding city resources. Billings Mayor Mike Nelson said that the city has begun deploying school resource officers to patrol outside school buildings when they are available, particularly following the incident at Will James where Lantz was killed.

However, the sheer scale of the city’s infrastructure makes constant coverage difficult for a limited number of officers. The city manages 1,230 lane miles, and Nelson explained that a small number of patrol vehicles cannot provide high density across such a wide area.

“Billings has 1,230 lane miles. And if we have 10 or 15 patrol vehicles out, you don’t have a lot of density there,” Nelson said. “Right now we’re stretching our resources as far as we can.”

As the city continues to grow, the number of vehicles sharing these roads increases, complicating the task of maintaining safety in school zones. Nelson urged drivers to mitigate these risks by avoiding distractions and following established traffic laws.

For Walton, the stakes are visible every morning when drivers ignore the 25 mph school zone limits. She described a recent Thursday morning where two vehicles sped through the crosswalk moving from east to west, nearly hitting a group of students.

“If those kids would have stepped out in the street, five kids could have died,” Walton told KTVQ.

While the mayor emphasized personal responsibility and focus behind the wheel, Walton maintains that the current measures are insufficient to protect the children under her watch.

“Just pay attention. Slow down. It’s five minutes. Five minutes,” Walton said.

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